In the sport of hunting big game animals, such as deer, the hunter will often field dress the animal after the kill. Field dressing refers to removing the animal's entrails. If the hunter intends to harvest the meat from the animal, it is important to field dress the animal as soon as possible after the kill to ensure rapid loss of body heat, prevent surface bacteria from growing, and maintain the overall quality of the meat.
A particular problem in field dressing big game animals is in the area of the anus, where the rectal portion of the lower intestine connects to the outer skin of the animal. The traditional method of dealing with this area is to cut around the anus with a knife to separate the anus and the rectum from the skin. The skin is then slit along the lower abdomen to open the body. This process presents the problem of damaging the intestinal wall, thereby allowing solid waste matter to enter the body cavity. When this happens, the meat that is contacted by the bodily waste material becomes contaminated and is not fit for consumption. In addition, the process of cutting around and separating the anus from the surrounding skin with a knife is difficult and time consuming.
One apparatus for cleanly removing the anus and extracting the rectum for safely tying and securing to prevent contaminating leakage of solid waste is disclosed in U.S. D539,868 to Luster. The Luster invention (also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the present disclosure) includes a tool having a forwardly protruding tip portion surrounded by a set of barbs that extend radially beyond the tip. The tip and barbs are mounted to the distal end of the shank that has the handle mounted at its proximal end. To use the tool, the tip is inserted into the anus of the slain animal as the handle is pushed to move the barbs into the body cavity. Once the barbs are beyond the anus, the handle is rotated sufficiently to cause the exposed points of the barbs to ensnare the wall of the rectum. The handle is then pulled back to remove the barbs and the tip of the tool from the body cavity of the animal, extracting a length of the intestine. The exposed intestine is tied or clamped to prevent accidental spilling of bodily waste materials during the balance of the field dressing process.
The Luster invention constitutes a significant improvement over the state of the art. However, depending upon the length of the tool, the tip portion and barbs may be inserted too far into the intestine. In addition, when pushing the tool against the body cavity of the animal, its important to keep the handle pushed tight against the body, to allow proper use and function of the tool. It becomes difficult to turn the handle with user's finger tips while keeping the tool tight against the cavity.
Another potential problem is that if the tool is fully inserted into the intestine of the animal, the user's hand that grips the handle will be in contact with the deer around the anus. This not only makes the tool more difficult to use and control, but runs the risk of contamination and spread of disease if the hunter is not wearing suitable gloves.
Therefore, it is a primary object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to improve upon the state of the art.
It is a further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention to provide a field dressing tool that prevents the tip portion and barbs from being inserted too far inside the intestine of the animal.
Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a field dressing tool that is easy to use and avoids the user's hands coming into contact with the animal around the anus of the animal.
A still further object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an improved method of field dressing a big game animal that does not unnecessarily damage the intestinal wall of the animal.
Yet another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide a method of field dressing a big game animal that avoids the risk of contamination and spread of disease when a hunter's hand comes into contact with a slain animal.
Another object, feature, or advantage of the present invention is to provide an improved tool for field dressing a big game animal that is efficient in operation, economical to manufacture, and durable in use.
One or more of these and/or other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims that follow. These objects, features, or advantages of the present invention do not limit the invention, as the present invention can provide other features and advantages in different embodiments and in different contexts.